Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

I was all excited about getting my new toy home yesterday til I pulled the valve cover off today. When the bolt broke off just taking the valve cover hold downs loose I knew right then that it was not going to be pretty This is the 863rd Model 25 built so it is just a couple years shy of 80 years old, when I get to be 80 years old I will prbably have valve failure also.

I can't believe how nice the upper manifold looks compared to the valve train but I bet the lower end of the engine looks like a total nightmare just like the rest.

This project is a toss up do I spend twice what the tractor is worth and fix it up or go the other way? I personally have a really really hard time parting tractors out, expecially with matching Serial numbers. I think I will just oil it down good for now and save this project for another day down the road.

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Well done and congratulations Joe! That even beats the best doses of British rust and that's saying something.

Thought I had had the worst cylinder head of all time on my Wallis 15-27 when I had to have 4 valves actually drilled out of the head, then about six seats cut out and seat inserts made. All is possile - with $$$$$$$$$$$$$ of course!!!

Don't throw the old girl in the crusher - regard it as a long term challenge

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Joe,

What a lovely old tractor and don't be put off by what you have seen under the valve cover, it is amazing how much damage those small mice can do and their urine is so corrosive, but I am sure you have parts in your junk pile to soon put new valve gear back onto the tractor, I bet the bottom end crank and bearings is in good shape. It is amazing how those creatures work their way through such a small hole and build such detailed nests, bet there has been many families raised under that old 25 valve cover.

The styled 25 which is currently under surgery here in Lincolnshire has a manifold exhaust elbow which looks like new, that was one of the factors which took my eye when it was standing in the MN salvage yard, when I took off the hand holes the crank and big ends had so many shims in place which is always a good sign.

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Here is the tractor with the engine and gearbox out , it is amazing what you find in the bottom of the U frame in the thick gear oil. The nut must of come loose on the oil thrower gear reataining shaft and let the gear come off and then got chewed up into lots of pieces with the bull gears. It was a great feeling to go get one of the parts shelf which had been sitting there since around 1982 when I bought the remains of a styled 25 from a local scrapyard.

Also a photograph of the excellent manifold and elbow on this tractor.

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Malcolm:

That is going to a very nice tractor when you get it done!! I fell in love with it when it was at Gary's and it is in much better shape now. The thing that really tripped my trigger is the awesome looking manifold, I don't think I have ever seen another one as nice as this one!!

Quick question can you pull an engine out of a styled 25 without removing the transmition with it?? If so can you pull an engine out of an unstyled 25 the same? I know you can do it with the styled Challengers but I don't think you can with the unstyled Challengers Right??

Here is a picture of a gear like the one that went bad on your 25 but this is on one of my parts engines for a Wallis 12-20 this is only an oil slinger right?? How does it get to missing a tooth?? Is this just from bad practices in moving the engine arround once it is out of the tractor or am I missing something that would make this gear go bad? I can see how yours went bad if the nut let loose and the gears chewed it up but how does this one get to missing a tooth??

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Joe,

Yes I am thinking this tractor will be a "good one" one day, expect to have it running this year and out in the field to work, the tinwork is all bashed very badly, so new fenders hood and tanks are waiting, fan shroud is in A*****er from Ervin right now, so I think long term this tractor is going to get painted. The radiator is having a new core right now and the top tank was packed full of mice nesting material, the cap had been left off and they have been busy in there, you must have some broody mice in MN!!!!

With regard to getting the engine out without the gearbox I do not beleive this is possible, as the baffle plate in front of the flywheel will not allow the flywheel to come forward enough to release the input shaft from the pilot bearing when the front of the engine is lifted up, there are not many more bolts to take out and it seems as easy to me to lift both engine and gearbox out together and then split them., this one was seized in the pilot bearing and shaft and took a lot of prying apart.
I have seen some u frames where that centre baffle has had the gas torch treatment and cut to the diameter of the flywheel to let it come through.

I think your gearbox oil thrower gear has been damaged whilst out of the tractor, no force on that when it is turning in the box and the bottom tooth very vulnerable when sitting on the ground or bench out of the frame.

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Here are a few more pictures showing the progress over the past few months on the styled 25, it is starting to look something like a tractor again and not too long before it bursts into life after many years of feeling sorry for itself.

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

RE:Valve Spring Failure on Massey 25

Your 25 is looking really nice Malcolm, a lot different than when it was here in Minnesota!

The red 25 is a tractor I have wanted for a while now but have just never found the right one. I might be too picky as I have passed up a few. I have always said it needs to have a really nice manifold and good 28" round spoke wheels for me to buy one.

If you want some more pictures of when it sat in MN I have some more at home.